New wood and log burner rules have been approved for Norwich, with households facing fines of up to £1,000 for non-compliance. The city in the east of England is set to expand its smoke control areas (SCAs) in a bid to curb emissions from domestic burning.
Expansion of Smoke Control Areas
Under the new regulations, all of Norwich could become a smoke control area. Users of log burners risk £300 fines for burning the wrong fuel or allowing visible smoke to escape from their chimneys. Selling unauthorised fuel could attract fines of up to £1,000.
The move follows a consultation by the local authority and city council, which revealed that 55% of respondents opposed the creation of a city-wide zone. Less than 40% supported it, while 8% were unsure. Despite the opposition, the Green Party-led council is pressing ahead with the plans.
Council's Justification
Toby Bolton, Green cabinet member for climate, described the consultation as producing a "mixed response" but argued that the results "may not fully capture the experiences of all communities." He stated: "The growth of small particulate emissions from wood burning is a concern to this administration. There is no safe level of air pollution."
Public Reaction
One resident opposed the ban, saying: "It would be a travesty of our human rights to ban our ability to heat our homes with wood. Let us keep our wood burners – they're a great plan B when we can't afford the heating bill from gas in the winter." However, another resident told the council: "The pollution from log burners at night is by far the worst air I've experienced."
The burning of wood and coal in homes contributes to almost 2,500 deaths a year in the UK, according to analysis. A Labour Party government spokesperson previously said: "Air pollution is a public health issue. As set out in our NHS 10 year plan, we are committed to reducing emissions from domestic burning to protect public health and local communities."
